InsaneJournal

"It's a scratch."
Who: Gaila, Scotty
What: Gaila gets squirrely? Gosh. Issues get resolverated. For now. Dun dun dun.
When: Saturday, and I'm backlogged posting, whoops! I got lazy. <3
Where: repair shop (Mad Monty's), Santa Ana
Rating: PG13, language only!
Status: Complete



"Uhm." Gaila had just gotten Scotty whiskey with tea in it. trying to soften him up for what she wanted to say.

Having no clue he was being softened up, Scotty had been sipping his tea with a touch of whisky in it, while staring at the laptop screen. Being stuck in bed was incredibly boring, and put a huge dent in his project completion schedule (which existed only in his head). But the tea was nice, and he was trying to make the best of it, otherwise. Even if a huge fuss was being made over a wee itty bitty scratch, as far as he was concerned.

He did, however, glance up at her with raised eyebrows, while sipping his tea. The 'hmm?' sound he made echoed in the cup, and she had his undivided attention.

Gaila eyedarted a bit, refilling his cup and then bringing him some bacon.

Bacon? Oh, that was nice. At least American bacon filled his Scottish quota for fat intake, though it was a bit overloaded with salt. He made an aww sound like that was just the best thing ever, and munched on it, with his freshly topped off cup of tea, looking pleased as punch.

"Ye know, ye dinnae have tae pamper me. I'm not ill," he offered. "I'm really fine." Those pain dulling pills helped. Thanks, Faiza.

"You got SHOT for me!" She smacked her forehead with her palm like 'duh!'

"I think anyone would've done that, unless they were a dumb bastard," Scotty pointed out. "And, mind ye, I wasnae alone, either."

"I'll thank them later, too." She smiled and winked suggestively.

He only laughed and shook his head at her like she was too much, before chewing on another bite of bacon and then taking a sip of tea.

Okay this was a bad idea, maybe she should call Nyota... Gaila chewed on her lip. She'd probably get an 'I told you so' or something. It wasn't her fault she got late on rent sometimes! Most of the time.

Well he has no idea what's going on, but he did glance up at her, and noticed her lip chewing. Which is a huge indicator that something is wrong. She was getting the stare of growing concern now, because while she's thinking it over, he's watching her.

"I'm going to go figure out what's for dinner!" She got to her feet and skipped off!

This is the point where he's watching her retreat and where he would have followed her, to find out what the hell was going on, even if she wasn't angry. So now he was propped up, with pillows, in her bed, and his head is turned so he can stare at the doorway, which she has just disappeared through.

"Gaila? Would ye come back in here, for a moment?" Because, oh no, she is not getting away with diversionary tactics. He KNOWS.

Damn it. She came back a moment later with several take out menus, "Yeah?"

"Oh, yay, take a way. But I doubt that's what ye really are worried over. Am I right?" so says Mister Observant. Observantly, even. Now he's just waiting for her to let the proverbial cat out of the bag, while sipping his tea and watching her. Though, it being Gaila, he's kinda expecting several kittens to come tumbling out and scamper all over the place. Sip sip, goes Scotty, with his tea.

"There might be some things, but I wanted to wait until you were better," Gaila replied,trying to talk her way out of this.

"I'm fine right now," he assured her, with a very huge grin of confidence. It was said like he could tackle fixing an entire battleship by himself, and then wrestle a bear afterward.

She rolled her eyes, "Hardly. You've been shot."

"Scratch. It's a scratch," Scotty gleefully corrected her.

"It's a bullet hole!!" She poked the bandage!

"Ouch! I felt that! Dinnae go poking scratches and tiny bumps, would ye?! The hell's wrong with ye!" He gave her the sort of stare like she'd just kicked someone's puppy in front of him. And, even if he wasn't keen on pets, it still wasn't RIGHT. "It's a scratch and it's achey when ye poke it, sae stop that. And stop tryin' tae change the subject as well. I'm not goin' tae forget."

Scotty made a show of chewing on his own lip just like she'd been, in an almost perfect mimicry.

"I'm really worried about you. You got hurt because of me." She plopped down, leaning against him, "It was like I'd shot you myself!"

"Is that what yer worried about? Because, trust me, ye dinnae shoot me. That wee bastard, Tony, did. And I wasnae about tae let him take ye, though I really need t'dae something about the vehicle situation. If I'm staying put, I mean, I should be able tae drive if yer nabbed by wee people again, an' not have tae rely on others." He put one arm around her shoulders and smiled reassuringly. "Ye shouldnae be worried, not about me. Aye, I'm pretty much pure indestructible, lass."

"Yeah but I put you into that position. To be shot!" She failed a hand, nearly smacking him in the face.

Smacky in the face right now would be bad. Scotty put aside his cup of tea and moved the laptop over so she didn't knock it off the bed or anything. That would just make his bed rest time utterly unbearable. Those things done, he took hold of her hand, just in case she flailed again.

"Nae, ye didnae put me in that position. THEY put me in that position. Ye didnae have anything tae dae with it. Understand? Stop blaming yerself, ye were herded aff. It's over. Nothing tae fret on and on about, anymore."

The tea nearly splashed and spilled all over the place, but yay! Scotty saved it! Gaila couldn't help but flail some more, even with her hands being held.

She settled down, staring down at her hands. She didn't want to tell him. But she really should. She didn't want to. She didn't want his pity.

Scotty simply sat there, holding her formerly flapping hands with his own, staring straight ahead. Not at her, no, just straight ahead, as he waited for her to work out whatever it was she was working out. Stage one of figuring stuff out obviously included flapping a lot.

Gaila was going to flap a lot, and then be stubborn and not tell him anything but what she'd already told him!

He was gathering as much, which was why he was a.) not being clingy b.) not pressuring her & c.) hoping she'd trust him enough to just get it out at some point or other. Failing all those things, he could d.) lose his temper? But he was in no position to chase after her if she went running off like she usually did, after they got angry with one another.

A) She just didn't want to upset him or deal with it. B) She didn't want him to lose his temper. She was afraid of his temper sometimes, but she'd never actually admit that. Apparently, there's a lot she won't admit. She's a squirrely girl!

Changing the subject, she pointed at the menu, "What you in the mood for?"

Well he'd have to ask (if he knew) why she'd be afraid of his temper, when a.) he rarely ever directed it at her but where he bloody well thought it should be directed (bad things and bad guys) & b.) when he did, it was usually because SHE had gotten mad at him first. For himself, he probably wouldn't bring up the fact that a.) he's never laid an angry finger on her, when b.) she's almost always got slappy thwappy hands. But that is because he doesn't want to scare her off. Especially right now. Again, because he can't chase after her to fix things and so he is smart enough to know it's better to try to stay on good terms with the girlfriend, because she goes jogging off if someone so much as sneezes the wrong way. Which makes her ultra supremely omega super squirrely, in his book.

His mun would like to point out that you two? Not psychic. So you will have to discuss this with words and not brain lists, and stop being a couple of stupid shitheads that I adore. <3 Thus ends this public service announcement, you retards.

He looked at the menu she was offering and then shrugged. "I dunno. Lassies' choice? Meat's good. Cannae gae wrong with meat. Four legged variety, not the winged type."

"Chinese, italian, sub..." She picked through the menus one by one. She really wanted chicken but he didn't and he was the laid up one, so beef it was. She held up BBQ, "This?"

"Eeeh, nae, not barbeque. Tae messy. Just get what ye want. As long as mine’s it's not spicy or made out of green vegetables, I'm honestly not goin' tae care." And that was pretty much true.

She really wanted barbeque. Gaila frowned, then let the expression fall off her face, "Okay, I want BBQ, and I'll get you chinese, that okay?"

"Sounds good." She was getting a stare like she was off her rocker, because Scotty was wondering what there was to frown about, when he was just trying to be accommodating, and no harm done in ordering from two different places, as far as he's concerned. He plucked the chinese menu from the piles like it was a grenade with the pin barely in place, and he was having to be ultra cautious, because it could go boom any time now. Read, read, point. "Number nine. I'll have that. Put it on..." Oh yes, he's going there, "...the card."

He then pointed over to his wallet, like this? Was an occasion to splurge a little bit. "Unless! Ye want tae gae digging through all my pockets for wadded up money." Which might take forever.

It was a PITA to order from more than one place, and BBQ was fun food! She thought he needed fun food, damn it. She snatched the card from his hand and pulled out her phone. One #9 coming up, along with a couple of sides, and then came the BBQ order. Chicken and brisket! Really she didn't used to eat this badly.

What the hell? Who died and made her the Bee-bee-que Queen that proclaimed BBQ was fun food and that he needed to have it?! And it only meant that one order would arrive before the other, it wasn't that big of a deal! Instead, no, he is left staring at his hand where the menu once was and wondering what the jesus on a mother fucking rubber crutch he's done wrong, now.

It just irritated her. It wasn't efficient! She hated ordering from multiple places. It was like a quirk, or just a weird personal pet peeve! "All done!"

Being someone who liked efficiency just fine - in fact, he LOVED efficient things - didn't mean he was going to insist she had what he had, or vice versa, just to make ordering easier. He wasn't irritated but he was wondering why SHE seemed that way, and it's only going to be so much longer before he opens his mouth and asks what was up.

"Yay, I think." No cheering arms raised high, though, because he was thinking maybe it was safer to bury his nose into the laptop and play stupid flash games like poker or something until the food got there. In fact, she is acting funky, so he just reached over for the laptop and dragged it back onto his lap, where it belonged. "Cheers. For ordering. Food."

Eyes wide, he stared at the screen and tapped around until he could browse up something to try to keep him occupied.

She eyed him, "What's your problem now?"

"What? Nothing. I didnae dae anything. I was just goin' tae find a game tae play." He looked around the room, wondering if anyone was going to jump out with cameras and yell anything about him being pranked, because it suddenly felt like he was put on the spot. But since she brought it up? "What's yer problem, then?"

"I hate ordering from two places."

"Oh. Well, sorry? I dinnae see how it's that big of a deal though." Scotty just shrugged a shoulder and quirked his lips up like he was unsure how that could be offensive. "Barbeque's a bit messy for bein' in bed, I’d thought. And yer having what ye want, and I'm having something else that's different that I want, sae...ye know...nothing wrong with that, really."

"Its not a big deal. But you got this thinkie look on your face. You usually get it when you're unhappy about something and thinking it through." She folded her arms.

"What dae ye mean, I got a thinkie look on my face? Ye want tae know what sort of look ye have on yers?" And there he went, doing the lower lip chew with a hand flap, and then right to the snatchy irritated look, and he's pretty good at expressions, so it was all pretty spot on. Even the dry as a bleached white bone in the middle of the desert stare he was givining her after all that, was as clear as day. "Sae, yer saying, that now ordering from two places isnae a big deal, but that I had a thinkie look on my face WAS? I'm unhappy because you seem unhappy, that's why."

"Well I'm not unhappy so stop being unhappy." To Gaila, that was the end of that. She scooted down to Scotty's leg and checked the bandage, "Eew..."

If there was anything going through his head right then it was all OH MY GOD WOMAN WUT??? He did not understand what was going on here, but she was acting weirder than the norm. He enjoyed the norm weird, but this was stuff coming from two directions, at the same time. With a sigh he tried to let that all go too, but it was frustrating a wee bit.

"What's wrong with the bandage now? I havenae been itching it since the last time ye told me not tae itch it. Which was well over an hour, mind ye. Sae I'm not tae blame if it's bleedy again, since it's just a scratch anyway."

That's his story and he's sticking to it.

"It looks gross, I think its time to change it!" She got the kit and came back, proceeding to do just that.

"I can dae that, if ye want," he offered, because it wasn't a big deal to him. He'd done enough self-home-surgery to not be squeamish. Otherwise, he'd been very good about staying off it and only was up and around for a trip to the bathroom and back. See? He can listen to doctors. After he puts up an argument, that is.

"I want to do it." She smacked his hand for even thinking about touching it! But she felt like she owed him. So it was sexy nurse time! She even had the cleavage!

She didn't owe him anything! Well, that is, he did go leaping off after her to save her, true. But he kind of had 'damsel-I-like is in distress? white knight rescue!' syndrome, whereas he'd try to play big damn hero and get hurt because of it, because girls in danger need saving. As do friends and family. That's just the way it is with him. It's wired into his brain, kind of like breathing or blinking is. No prior thought involved.

"Ye dinnae have tae, though, I'm only saying." But since he got his hand smacked, he was just going to let her do her thing and not be twitchy or make it difficult for her to deal with.

"Which part of I want to don't you understand?!" She was glaring at him now, "Can I do fucking nice things for you without you complaining about it?!"

"I wasnae complaining. I was only telling ye that ye dinnae have tae...all right, fuck it. What the hell's gotten intae ye anyway? Really, because that wasnae called for at all. I wasnae snappish, I wasnae snarky, and I didnae yell." Yep, she's getting the whatsamatteryou gesture now, with both hands held up. Because, really, yelling at him over nothing! "Did something crawl up yer bum and die?"

Gaila gave him a 'whatsamatteryou' expression back, getting to her feet, "Goddamn we can't have a conversation without fighting anymore!" She started to pace.

"I'd like tae point oot that I wasnae even snarky or sarcastic or anything, up until ye got snappy with me. And we have had a few arguments but I thought we'd gotten past that." He was watching her pace like no waaaaaaaaay did he start this, no way, no how, seriously would like to know what is up now. But she was making him feel set on edge, just watching her. "What'd I dae?"

Gaila shrugged, "I'm not saying you were, it just sounded like you were complaining." She resumed pacing.

"Nae, I wasnae trying tae. All right, stoppit, please. What's wrong with ye? If I did something wrong, then I think I'd deserve tae at least know what it was, sae I can set it right. Aye?" He smiled tentatively, hopefully, like maybe that might appeal to her sense of womanly reason? Maybe?

Oh wait! He snapped his fingers and then pointed at her, like he had the answer and was on a quiz show and had to answer immediately, "We'll never, ever, order from two different places, ever again?"

She whirled on him, snapping, "YOU haven't done anything wrong!"

"Okay, okay, okay...sae I havenae done anything wrong. Good tae know," he said softly, both hands held up like she shouldn't shoot the messenger or it was a stick up and he'd be handing over all the cash. "If I dinnae dae anything wrong, then who or what did dae something wrong?"

"I don't know..." She looked dejected.

"Something's eating at ye. Must be. Ye usually arenae wound up...like this." Scotty was giving her a very unsure look, mostly because if she didn't know, then he was unsure of how to proceed.

"Uhm..well.."

Gaila hedged! There were certainly things that were bothering her, and she still didn't want to bring them up!

He was sitting there with both eyebrows raised up slightly, blinking profusely, in that way which let it be known he was waiting and listening.

"Oh I think dinner is here!" It wasn't yet!

"It's not here." He sat there, still waiting, his expression unchanged.

"Damn it."

She started to pace again, talking to herself under her breath!

"Okay.. Okay fine. I'm gay." She grinned? "Not working? Okay. I uhm...got evicted."

Scotty folded both arms over his chest and kept waiting, because, no, he shook his head like he did not believe the gay thing, but quickly gave her a o_o stare at the evicted thing. Ahem. Cough. Clear throat.

"Really? How'd that happen, then?" It wasn't asked in an accusing way, more like he was really wondering how she'd get evicted.

"I was late on rent. Every month for the last four months."

Ok, so now he was mouthing the word 'what?' and blinking a whole helluva lot like he did not hear correctly.

"How'd ye...with...late...och, Gaila." He winced and roughly rubbed a hand down over his face.

"What?" She eyedarted, "I got busy!"

His fingers spread apart so he could wince-peek through them, at her. He did, however, let out a little chuckle, which he tried NOT to let loose but, nope, it sneaked out.

"Sorry, it's not funny, nae," he apologized, immediately. "Is that really what's been bothering ye? How long's it been since ye found oot about the eviction?"

"And rent isn't cheap. I didn't want to resort to paying for it other ways, so I just..was late a few times?" She glared at him for the chuckle.

"I'm sorry, nae, it's not funny at all." He did drop his hand away from his face, with a soft sigh, and looked apologetic. "Ye could'ae asked for help, though. Yer bein' stubborn. How long dae ye have, until yer stuff has tae be oot of there?"

Figures he'd be laid up too at a time like this. He glared down at his own leg, like it had betrayed him.

Gaila shook her head, "I'm not going to ask for help. And I have about...4 days left now. Maybe five."

"This' nae time to not be letting other people help ye. Stoppit, would ye? Just...enough with the stubborn for right now. Please." He wasn't being snippy but trying to be reasonable, somewhat. "I'm laid up for two days but after that, maybe I can help ye pack up a few things and..." And then what? Store it? Move it in here? Or...ohhh, maybe she was trying to get around to saying she didn't want to be crammed in a small space with him and thus the whole 'you're being clingy' thing and therefore, ahhh, he could see now where she was getting all worked up about it. Now he was chewing on his lower lip for a few seconds. "Well, umm...if ye arenae goin' tae ask for help, then...what are ye goin' tae dae?"

"I already got everything packed, I did it all night after our fight." She flushed a little. "And I sort of maybe used bringing the bed over as an excuse to bring my things over and store them off in a corner downstairs. Just for storage! I'll be finding a place."

"If that's what ye want...but it’s not like I would tell ye not tae stay here, Gaila. It's up tae ye, though."

Gaila looked down at her hands, "Do you want me to? Find another place?"

Scotty averted his gaze off to one side a bit and smiled a little, sheepishly. Because he'd kind of gotten used to her being there, but didn't want to seem so obvious about it. Plus it was a huge decision and he wasn't the one who went running off all of the time.

"I think...ye know...that's not simply up tae me. It's more what ye want, but I cannae say I'd be opposed tae the idea of ye living here. Even if it is a huge, huge deal, ye know." He scratched at the side of his neck, feeling his ears growing hotter with each passing second, because that was really serious business. "Dae you want tae find another place?"

There, better to ask HER that and see what SHE said. Bravo, good man. Bravo!

"I don't want to bother Uhura...she barely puts up with my shit half the time as it is..."

"...aye, I could see how it might be interesting tae have tae live with someone who doesnae put up with yer shite," he joked, and then tried to lean aside, with a bit of a wince at his protesting leg, in case she tried to thwap him for being a smart ass and making a joke at a time like that.

She was too depressed to bother, "Yeah...."

"Och, c'mon, that was a joke and ye know it. C'mere, lass." He patted the bed, right next to him. "It's goin' tae be all right. I just would rather it's, ye know, yer decision rather than asking me what I think. Because, honest, ye should know what I think by now. I've started tae notice how quiet it is, when yer not here at night. But, at the same time, it kind of contradicts what ye said tae me just recently, ye know...sae I dinnae want tae be clingy, an' ye mentioned wanting yer own space and things. Which has never been a problem with me. I'm always doin' me own thing, just sometimes people join in on it for a while, but I'm mostly alone working on me own stuff...and..." He stopped patting the bed and peeked at her. "I dinnae want ye tae feel pressured tae have tae stay here, simply oot of necessity. That’s what I'm getting at."

Gaila looked at him, chewing on her lip again. She wasn't sure if he was serious or not. She wasn't sure if SHE wanted or not. She wanted to be with him, yes, but, "I'm not feeling pressure, I just don't want to be a bother."

"Ye wouldnae be a bother. It's never a bother when yer here. I mean, look at it this way," he beckoned to her with a crook of his finger, while whispering like he was letting her in on a little secret, "when ye gae running off? How many times have I not followed after ye?"

Because hi, that would mean 'y u leaving, woman?'

"I'm not going to run off!"

"...it's...aye, ye usually dae. Look, the point is, if I didnae want ye tae be here, I wouldnae be running after ye each an' every time, tae try tae fix it better. Even sae, that last time gave ye some space, ye know, after we yelled about it outside. Which I'm sure everyone appreciated." And he was gesturing with his hands, doing puppet hand talky from one hand to the other, afterward waving an arm around like 'oot there somewheres', gesture-rama et cetera. "The point is, yer not a bother, and I'd want ye tae stay if you want tae stay. But, look, sae there's no pressure...if ye want, just think of it like us being flatmates. Who just happen tae be in love with another. All right? Or dinnae think about the in love part, if ye dinnae want tae. It's up tae ye, Gaila. If ye want tae stay here, then aye! Please dae. I love having ye around. Okay?"

"..So I can stay?" She just wanted clarification. That it was okay. That it will be okay. She liked that she wasn't a bother, and was relieved to hear that.

"Aye, ye can. If that's what ye want." Look! He even gave her a thumbs up!

"Okay then! I guess...we're living together then." Dun dun dun. Gaila started to go a paler, more pine tree green.

It's okay, he went from Scotty’s Scottish pasty hue to an even whiter shade of pale for a second, then laughed it all off. Yep, like it was nothing. With a slight wave of nervousness and inner nausea. All good though. Back to normal. He's smiling. See? :D

He even went \o/ at her.

Yay!